Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, |
As an instrument for consolidating its
investments in the Nigerian agriculture sector, the African Development
Bank (AfDB), led by erstwhile Nigerian Minister for Agriculture, Dr.
Akinwumi Adesina, has set aside the sum of $175 million for its
Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme (ATASP-I) in
Nigeria’s north-western states.
The AfDB Country Director, Dr Ousmane Dore, made this
disclosure at a meeting with the leadership of the North West region at
the Kaduna State Government House.
Dore disclosed that the meeting reviewed the bank’s
agriculture development strategy for the region, and also its ongoing
and upcoming interventions in agriculture in Nigeria as they relate to
the seven North West states.
“In line with the agenda of the meeting, we (AfDB) have
outlined $175 million for the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support
Programme as the main instrument for consolidating the bank investments
in Nigeria’s agriculture sector. Under this programme, the bank has
established four Staple Crops Processing Zones, which cover four out of
the seven North West states; Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano and Jigawa,” Dore said.
He also outlined two upcoming projects totaling $500
million. According to him, $300 million will be deployed towards
Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment (ENABLE) Youth Programme
and $200 million for Phase II of the ATASP. He stated that the forum
recognised that the bank had been providing financial support to small
and medium enterprises (SMEs) through lines of credit to several
commercial banks as well as through policy banks like the Bank of
Industry, and the Nigerian Export-Import Bank.
He added that the forum also appreciated the bank’s technical assistance to the Bank of Agriculture through grants.
Corrigendum: AgroNigeria deeply regrets the previous
pictorial error it committed by transposing the picture of the current
AfDB President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina with a former President’s. The
error has since been corrected on ALL our news portals, and the errant
staff stiffly reprimanded. Apologies, once again.
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